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By Sharan Street
Published Sep 26, 2022

Watch for the tiny ruby-crowned warbler as it heads south from its boreal breeding range. Image credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Public Domain

9-26-22: On the Move

Last Thursday was officially the first day of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere, also known as the fall equinox: that moment in September when the sun is exactly above the equator, and day and night are equal in length. Nature is less precise than the cosmos, so seasonal changes across the globe tend to be more gradual. That’s especially true for birdwatchers, who keep a close eye out for fall and spring migrants. Some bird species leave their northern breeding grounds in the middle of summer, whereas others linger and may still be on the move when the winter solstice arrives. But by the time the equinox rolls around, fall is on its way, with hooded orioles heading to the tropics and ruby-crowned kinglets arriving from their summer range in Alaska and Canada.

Natural Wonders of Santa Cruz ... Autumn Edition

To mark the arrival of autumn, California Local’s Kimberly Hickok once again talked to the folks at the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History to get the lowdown on some of the season’s most fascinating natural phenomena.

Splendor in the Leaves

Though the Santa Cruz Mountains are known for redwoods and other evergreens, deciduous trees bring color to autumn hikes.

We asked the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History to share a few of their favorite things about autumn in the Monterey Bay region.

Motion Studies

Human migration is less predictable, and it comes with its own perils. Whether it’s walking to work, commuting on crowded highways, or navigating a long road trip, there are risks involved with travel. As the City of Santa Cruz tweeted recently, September is Pedestrian Safety Month—just one of many public campaigns that attempt to get citizens to follow the rules of the road. One big traffic safety initiative, called “Vision Zero,” kicked off in 2018, when Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation to create a “Zero Traffic Fatalities Task Force.” California Local reporter Jonathan Vankin looks at some of the reasons why, this year in particular, road deaths have been on the rise.

Vision Zero: Cities Struggle With Goal of Ending Traffic Deaths

Vision Zero aims to implement steps that would make roads safer, and stop traffic death entirely.

The Vision Zero program sets a goal for California cities to eliminate traffic fatalities, but almost a decade into the effort, the goal remains distant, and horrific tragedies on the road continue to stack up.

Why Zero Traffic Fatalities Remains a Distant Goal

California traffic deaths remain high, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

California’s goal of zero traffic fatalities remains distant. Here are some common causes of deaths on the road that can be fixed, but haven’t been.

Keep Tahoe Safe, Sane, and Strong

As we enter the new season here at California Local, we're pleased to share our first Impact Report, which we wrote, designed and published for our awesome friends at the Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation. After completing the project, our own Eric Johnson was so impressed with the quality and scope of work that TTCF does on behalf of the North Tahoe communities, he was inspired to share their story in this blog post.

TTCF: Delivering Impact in North Lake Tahoe

California Local is helping a powerful organization tell a big story about confronting problems that threaten the soul of the North Lake Tahoe community.